


Safe as Houses

by beaubete



Category: The Hour
Genre: Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3811858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beaubete/pseuds/beaubete
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiki knows you always ask for something from everybody.  Being selfless is stupid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe as Houses

**Author's Note:**

> This minific was inspired by a post on tumblr by [nothingbutthedreams](http://nothingbutthedreams.tumblr.com/post/117205948692/everyones-somehow-even-more-suspicious-of-angus). The post contains spoilers for the minific, but I found the idea so intriguing that I had to write something up!

The first time she catches Angus bringing a man back to his home where she’s been hiding the last few days as they wait for Cilenti and crew to finally forget she exists, he freezes.  It’s late.  She’d gone upstairs in her dressing gown and meant to go to sleep, but then she’d heard him sneaking out, and some contrary part of her that can’t help looking the gift horse in the mouth had made her wait up for him.  Now he stares at her with eyes that glitter like beetles in the dark over the head of a sailor who makes his intentions known, hands roaming and mouth sucking delicate kisses along the line of Angus’s long throat.  She meets his gaze steadily and knows they’re going to talk about this later.

In the morning, she stays at her vanity to curl her hair and give him time to dispose of his paramour.  The sailor’s more discreet on his way out than in; she doesn’t even notice when Angus enters, just looks up to see him reflected in her mirror.  Her breasts are visible through her filmy dressing gown, but it’s apparent that doesn’t matter.  It’s almost refreshing to be barely covered around a man who clearly doesn’t care—yet another reason Angus makes her feel oddly safe, secure.

“If you expose me, I will destroy you.”  As an opening volley goes, it’s certainly effective.  She shrugs mildly, and her gown slips from her shoulder.  She ignores it and paints a careful bow of lipstick on her mouth.

“And why would I do that?  Do you think I’ve never known a man who liked other men before?  Sometimes they’d buy my time two at a time and spend it with each other.  I’m a fantastic mask for that sort of thing; no one can believe you’re not actually fucking me.”

Angus is quiet, and when she glances up from her makeup to his face in the mirror, his face tells her that yes, he is aware of this.  She shrugs again.  It may be one of the reasons Angus was so willing to move her in, but if he’s getting something out of her tarnished reputation, does it matter so long as she’s protected?  So he’s not actually expecting sex—so what?  She thinks of poor Mr. Lyon in hospital and knows that will never be Angus.  Mr. Lyon was being selfless, and Angus would never be so stupid—ask for something from everyone, always, is her motto, because the world is a cruel place and you may as well make it worth your while.

“I’ve got a history for keeping secrets,” she tells him simply.

“Good.”

He becomes more open about bringing his guests home after that, though still reasonably discreet.  Even so, as the days go on she begins to notice a discrepancy in his friends.  Over breakfast, she tells him, “You date more than any girl I know.”  He ignores her, sips from his coffee elegantly.  “I can keep secrets, I said.”

He pauses.  “The easiest secret to keep, Miss Delaine, is one you don’t have at all.”

“You’re going to blow both your covers if you keep this up.”

He tightens his tie as though she hasn’t said anything, and at least he doesn’t pretend she’s stupid.  At least there’s that.

Now she knows what to look for, what to wait for, she waits up for him every time, tucked into the shadow beside the huge wall clock that echoes the Westminster chimes at ten, at eleven, at twelve.  Tonight she’s been waiting far longer than usual—Angus likes his visitors gone by now, likes to sleep in his own bed alone, she’s learned—and a cold trill of fear down the center of her back reminds her of Miss Rowley’s worried face when Mr Lyon hadn’t showed up.  The door cracks open and it’s Angus and a man; for a moment, she breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of their clinch, but it’s clear there’s something wrong, clear this isn’t a lover.  Angus is struggling.

She doesn’t think, not really.  She’s got her pistol in hand—a little derringer, a tiny square gun with a pretty handle and a snub nose, and she’s brought it every night since the uneasy realisation that Angus is inviting trouble into their home deliberately, because it’s every bit her home as it is his—and the man jerks back, surprised by the punch of a bullet through his shoulder.  She follows, because this is Angus and he is hers, quirks and all, and she aims her gun at the man’s terrified face.  She only realises she’s shaking at the gentle touch on her elbow; Angus takes the gun from her and fires, and they’re both looking down at the corpse they’ve both put bullets into.

“Go to bed, Miss Delaine,” he tells her, and she trembles but shakes her head anyway.  “Kiki.”

“No.  I’m not leaving you to deal with this.  You’ll get yourself caught, and then what would happen to me?”  And he looks at her pragmatically, so she says, “I know what we can do with him.”

He’s still watching her carefully.  Finally, he shifts, taking off his jacket to wrap around her in her thin dressing gown.  The wool has retained his heat, eases her shivers a bit.  “I have a man I call about this sort of thing.  You were extraordinarily brave tonight, Kiki.”

“Yeah,” she agrees.  “I was.”

He smiles.  “I think perhaps I may have a job for you.”

For a moment, she thinks incongruously that he’s going to offer her a position as a tea girl in Westminster, a secretary role, and then.  And then she realises he means his other job.  She smiles back.

 


End file.
